Mountain Town Life: The Beauty and the Burden

Behind every golden moment lives a story of resilience. Here’s to caring for the people who live, work, and breathe mountain life.

From the outside, mountain towns look like paradise. Long summer days on the lake, crisp fall mornings on the trail, first chair on powder days. To many, it feels like an endless adventure, a dream life with a view.

But if you’ve lived here, you know there’s more to the story. Behind the beauty is a lifestyle that can also be exhausting. Long work hours, seasonal jobs, housing that costs more than paychecks, isolation in harsh weather, and a culture that often glorifies partying and “grind ‘til you drop.” Over time, that mix wears on people.

We’ve seen it in our own lives, and in the lives of our friends, neighbors, and co-workers. We’ve also seen the darkest outcomes, addiction, burnout, and even tragedy. Mountain towns consistently show some of the highest rates of depression and suicide in the country. It’s not because people here don’t love life, it’s because loving it isn’t always enough to withstand the weight of the challenges.

I’m Christine Bettera, a board certified health coach, certified personal trainer, and wellness educator who’s spent my career helping people build strength, healthier habits, and resilience in demanding environments.

My husband, Michael Bettera, has worked in the mountain resort industry for decades. Through his companies Effective Edge and LVL UP Academy, he’s trained and coached leaders and employees in resorts across the country.

We’ve been together for over 20 years, and in that time we’ve lived the mountain lifestyle side by side, sharing the joy of adventure and community while also navigating the harder realities that come with it. Out of that lived experience, and the unique combination of our professional work, we developed the Summit Stronger Mountain Resort Wellness & Resilience Training.

The program is in its final edits now and will soon be available through LVL UP Academy and as a stand alone course. Our goal is simple: to help mountain resort employees, leaders, and locals not just survive this lifestyle, but thrive in it, because we know firsthand the cost of ignoring the harder truths.

Mountain towns aren’t just playgrounds, they’re communities. And every single one of us is part of their culture. Locals, seasonal workers, long-time employees, second-home owners, and visitors, we all shape what it feels like to live and work here.

• Employees & Locals: You are the backbone of these towns, often holding two or three jobs to make it work. Taking care of your body, mind, and spirit isn’t selfish, it’s survival. Self-care is not a luxury; it’s a form of community care.
• Leaders & Employers: Supporting wellness needs to be as important as safety training. Burned out employees don’t make for thriving teams, or thriving resorts.
• Visitors & Second-Home Owners: You love these towns for their beauty, but your presence has an impact. Housing, wages, infrastructure, all are strained in part because of tourism and outside ownership. Supporting fair wages, respecting workers, tipping generously, and engaging with local businesses makes you part of the solution, not the problem.

We can’t wish away the challenges of mountain living, but we can shift the culture:

• From glorifying burnout to honoring balance.
• From normalizing substance use to normalizing asking for help.
• From “every man for himself” to we’re in this together.

It starts with self-advocacy, saying no when you need rest, asking for support when you’re struggling, and speaking up for healthier norms. And it grows into community advocacy, checking in on your friends and co-workers, supporting locals if you’re visiting, and creating spaces where people don’t just survive mountain life, but truly thrive.

If you live here, look out for each other. Ask the hard questions. Offer support, not judgment. If you’re visiting, bring gratitude, not entitlement. Tip well. Respect workers’ time. If you own a second home, remember you’re part of the fabric here too. Use your influence to support housing solutions and community programs.

Because at the end of the day, mountain towns aren’t just backdrops for adventure. They’re living, breathing communities made of real people, people who deserve resilience, health, and joy.

Let’s create a culture of care, together.

— Christine Bettera
NBHWC- Board Certified Health Coach | ACSM-CPT